How do we become climate neutral?

The government wants it and a lot of companies are already working on it: The future of industry is to be climate neutral. Ralf Mühlenberg reveals how companies can accomplish this marathon task.

Mr. Mühlenberg, what’s the first thing a company seeking to become climate neutral should do?

Since the aim is to reduce CO₂ and other emissions, the first step has to be to quantify and qualify the emissions. It’s like a marathon – you don’t win that in the first few kilometers either. The decarbonization journey has an interim milestone of 2045. And to achieve this, we need to set priorities when it comes to cutting back: What can be achieved quickly and where are the solutions perhaps a little more complex? It depends on the budget that’s available, too, of course.

And once all that’s been established, what happens then?

Then we recommend very specific measures for reducing emissions. That might involve changing the heat supply, for example, reducing the system temperature, using waste heat from production internally or externally, or applying innovative approaches like mobilizing waste heat with a power block thermal energy storage system. Or you could start with an energy-intensive area such as the compressed air system. By using renewable electricity here, you can cut emissions instantly. What is important is that in each individual section, you need to weigh up on a case-by-case basis which measure is economically viable to implement. And there is a really wide range of measures and technologies available for this.

At Iqony, you offer not just the concepts but also their implementation. In what ways do you help customers who are seeking to become climate neutral?

That can vary significantly depending on the case. It might be purely something of a study nature, like developing the concept and recommending measures. But we specifically also work towards long-term partnerships. Achieving climate neutrality is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Our customers’ trust in us can also only grow over time. And only once that has been achieved are we really in a position to implement targeted measures, especially in production, with its energy-intensive processes. After all, production is quite rightly the heart of every company. And business owners are reluctant to let outsiders step inside, let alone intervene.

How have you found it working with companies on climate neutrality? Are they motivated?

Generally speaking, of course, all companies have to be climate neutral by 2045, but there are some entrepreneurs who want to achieve it as early as 2030. So in these companies, the management is already setting an example of how to go about making climate neutrality and sustainability happen, to that end developing their own very specific ideas. Naturally, this rubs off on the employees and makes our work easier.